Create a collage of an event

A great story is made an outstanding story with the use of photos.  If you or anyone else in your post has a digital camera, you are now able to  project those photos  to your web audience with WordPress.  Getting a photo from the  camera to the  webpage is what scares a lot of people.  It is not a scary event!

First you need to have access to the picture.  Ask everyone in the post to send you action shots of members doing anything and everything.  It does not have to be an “in the post” event to make it newsworthy.

Ask them to brag on the photo, the people, and the event.  You need the Five W’s (who, what, when where, and why).

Next, get them to email you the photos.  The hard work is now done for you.

Your blogmaster recommends you create a photo folder in your computer for the post.  Now sit back and wait for the photos to arrive.

Download Google Picasa for free!

The process

1. When a photo and story arrives, open your post photo folder and create a new folder for the event. Create a folder for any new event using plain language.  Example: Post birthday June 2011.  Save the new photos to the folder.  This simple trick will let you recover photos by using any search feature in your computer, a photo editor or software, or Google’s Picasa.
2. Open the photo.  If you have Picasa, select EDIT IN PICASA.
3. Edit the photo to make it look sharp and save it. Experiment with cropping, contrast, and collages.
4. Select your photo and resize it.  In Picasa, select EXPORT.  Picasa will copy the name of your current folder and ask you the file size.  I recommend 320 to 400.  Export.  Your  photo was copied, resized, and put in a new folder in your My Pictures folder.  Look for …\Picasa\Picasa Exports\original folder name for photo .

You are now ready to add your photo to your new posting.  When your story is ready, just add the image by selecting it from your computer files.

1. Select Add an Image
2. Click on Select Files button
3. Locate, select and upload the image(s)
4. Make your image location decision and select alignment (left, right, middle placement).
5. Select picture size (thumbnail image, medium size or original as uploaded).
6. Click on Insert  into Post button
7. View your selection

Your image is now in your news story.  Oh, what about the story itself, you ask?  That was the bragging part.  Take what they told you and use it as your story.  You don’t have to be a wordsmith.  You can add your additional thoughts to make the story a great story.

Other items –  Try these free software solutions.  Each one is used by your blogmaster to bring you better quality in your web news.

• Get Picasa from Google
• Learn about Picasa and Picasa Web Albums
• Learn how to use Picasa
• Learn about GIMP photo editor
• Get GIMP photo editor (free PhotoShop alternative).  Download for Windows
• Learn how to make image backgrounds transparent (remove background from a logo) using GIMP.  Video